PDA

View Full Version : newfound gap to davenport gap trip report



double j
06-29-2010, 00:58
Well i have to say this was some of the best hiking i have done yet. Views were beyond what you could imagine. The trail was even fairly easy.Water is great at all the shelters. I did not see 1 bear dang it.

I talked with one hiker who said a bear came into pecks corner shelter and was slurping something of the ground in front of him he said he screamed at it and hit him with rocks. Also read that a bear came into camp and bit into a fuel canister causing an explosion that was kinda wild. I made it to cosby shelter for a snack and noticed a tree with huge claw marks where a bear was climbing it for food.

The whole trip i had to avoid stupid horse (POOO).

Now for some unusual news. There is a homeless man shelter hopping he spent the night with us at tri corner. He has very little gear no shelter,no sleeping gear and his kitchen consist of a HUGE black iron skillet no joke. He has about 15 cans of can food. No way to purify his water,smokes like a freight train and is constantly complaining about his knees and hips. Hes carrying a huge mag lite and a small ax. He told us he slept at wal mart parking lot in his truck until the cops ran him off so he decided he would thru hike? or just hike into a small town. I think he watched INTO THE WILD too much. But i hope he gets his head straight and figures life out sad too see people like that.



And besides that i hung my hammock up on the pigeon river and took me a siesta while i waited for my ride. I sure will miss the Smokys.
Oh and cabin fever buddy i left you a note at tri corner.

Cabin Fever
06-29-2010, 12:48
Too bad I am not stopping at Tricorner. We want some of the bear action at Pecks Corner.

TIDE-HSV
07-01-2010, 00:09
The old Peck's Corner shelter had the standard chain link fence, and that was one of the worst nights I've spent in a Park shelter. I was in that shelter in a late fall hike almost 35 years ago. The 2" anchor posts on either side of the shelter were bent in about 4" or so, and a bear spent the entire night attacking the fence and trying to gain entrance. Sleeping was impossible, as he roared and charged the fence. One hiker carried Mace and he sprayed the bear full in the face. Made it even angrier, but that was all. The new shelters, with no cooking inside and food stored outside are the right idea, if people will just obey the rules...

Llama Legs
07-08-2010, 16:40
Double J !

I made it to Fontana in 4 days no sweat (actually lots of sweat). Heavy Metal was a trip but I hope he has a nice enough hike while he lasts. BTW, I saw 6 bears on the trail last Thursday alone.

Nice camping with you...Llama Legs

beaudetious
11-18-2010, 17:17
There is a homeless man shelter hopping he spent the night with us at tri corner. He has very little gear no shelter,no sleeping gear and his kitchen consist of a HUGE black iron skillet no joke. He has about 15 cans of can food. No way to purify his water,smokes like a freight train and is constantly complaining about his knees and hips. Hes carrying a huge mag lite and a small ax.

I met someone that nearly matches that description at Roaring Fork shelter this October. Called himself "Paul w/ Bunions". Older gentleman with gray hair and bumb knee. He had a small battery powered radio too. I watched him cook up his canned dinner in a huge skillet.

I wonder if it was the same guy.

Silver Bear
11-18-2010, 21:10
Two years ago a little south of Sam's Gap I ran into Paul with Bunions. It was cold & raining. Paul was holed up in a shelter. Than last year I was north of Erwing and had someone tell me about meeting Paul. It sure sounds like he has been out there for a while now.

beaudetious
01-15-2011, 15:35
Sometimes wish I could lead a life like that. Sometimes.

I met another guy on that same trip who was carrying at least 100 pounds on his back. He had so much stuff hanging off of his pack including a Kindle.

Where do guys like that go during the winter?

tawa
01-15-2011, 15:43
I believe that hiker goes by the trail name --PackMule--lol--seriously! Talked with him around Perisburg back in the fall.

Papa D
01-20-2011, 22:31
Ran into that Paul with Bunyons guy in the snow on Sunday night - I had just finished a 20 mile section hike and decided to camp an extra night - Rock Gap shelter is pretty close to a road so I rubber blazed there from the NOC - and there this guy was. He told be that he Southbounded from Maine and that it was his second thru-hike. He was "working his way back" - hitchhiking I guess to PA. His story didn't really make sense but he did know the trail - and I like travelers and Hobos - they are a dying breed and this guy was on the trail so I helped him a bit. I figure he yellow blazed most of it, but it's got to be the same guy - cooks on a fire only, terrible feet - can't really walk at all, old frying pan to cook in, etc. I gave him a mac n cheese, some chocolate and some triple a batteries - he seemed to really need help - i felt bad camping there in my warm down bag - it went to about 15 deg. and I know he must have been cold - he has a pretty ghetto set-up. Hope he's ok.

10-K
01-20-2011, 22:48
Ran into that Paul with Bunyons guy in the snow on Sunday night - I had just finished a 20 mile section hike and decided to camp an extra night - Rock Gap shelter is pretty close to a road so I rubber blazed there from the NOC - and there this guy was. He told be that he Southbounded from Maine and that it was his second thru-hike. He was "working his way back" - hitchhiking I guess to PA. His story didn't really make sense but he did know the trail - and I like travelers and Hobos - they are a dying breed and this guy was on the trail so I helped him a bit. I figure he yellow blazed most of it, but it's got to be the same guy - cooks on a fire only, terrible feet - can't really walk at all, old frying pan to cook in, etc. I gave him a mac n cheese, some chocolate and some triple a batteries - he seemed to really need help - i felt bad camping there in my warm down bag - it went to about 15 deg. and I know he must have been cold - he has a pretty ghetto set-up. Hope he's ok.

I know Paul with Bunions - we were at Whitehouse Landing at the same time in June. I talked with him about 2 weeks ago when he was at Greasy Creek Friendly and was going to hike into Erwin with him from Iron Mt. Gap but he decided to go home (Snellville, GA) till the snow melted.

He put me on his SPOT "I'm Ok" list so I could find him and if I wanted to hike with him later. Tonights update put him somewhere down around the Hot Springs area - well, south and west of there.

I got an email from him last week saying he had made it from Davenport Gap to Newfound Gap and was going to start there.

Beats me...

Papa D
01-20-2011, 23:02
Speaking of people that are sort of old trail "fixtures" has anyone ever met "Kitchen Sink" - that guy is a bona-fide 2000 miler by the way (over like 10 years) - second generation 2000 miler too, I think. Anyway, I camped with him one night when I did the Long Trail last year - He was taking the whole summer (I think) to do just Vermont - Greylock to Hanover, I guess - his pack is enormous - it was at least 90 lbs - I couldn't even lift it really - and he weighs no less than 275 himself. but boy, when he does get to a shelter he has a luxurious fat (no pun intended) camp - 2 burner stove, gourmet food, giant sleeping pad, pillow, big tent, separate cooking tarp, all sorts of clothes, the works - he was a super nice and happy guy doing it his way - not really my faster and lighter style but he was so happy to be out there I just had to smile --- "hike your own hike y'all"
- Papa D

Papa D
01-20-2011, 23:10
hmm - hey 10-k - man if he made it to Hot Springs, that's great for him I guess - he told me he was hitching to Asheville and trying to get a bus ticket home (to PA). He's done the Trail - one way or another - he was spot-on with his knowledge of shelters, So. Maine, Vermont, the whites, "the Doyle" in Pa - he'd be right at home there - ha! - Va, NC, etc. - he didn't say anything about a home in GA though - I was sure he was trying to get north to Pa.

10-K
01-20-2011, 23:17
Well, there are either 2 Paul Bunions or 1 very confused one... :)

Here's my latest SPOT location for Paul Bunion (today):

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=35.84836,-82.90134&ll=35.84836,-82.90134&ie=UTF8&z=12&om=1

and here's a snippet of the email I received 3 days ago (the 17th):

I'll be hiking the park sobo, but I've already done davenport to newfound. So, when I hit davenport I'll be jumping around to newfound gap.




Paul Bunion

10-K
01-20-2011, 23:21
btw, the Paul Bunion I'm talking about definitely lived in Snellville, GA - I grew up in Loganville, another small town 8 miles from there and we're about the same age so we knew a lot of the old places - spent an hour at least talking about it.

Papa D
01-20-2011, 23:22
hmm - doesn't seem likely that there are 2 Paul Bunions hiking the AT in the South, in the snow, in January - maybe he re-supplied, fixed his feet, and got his hike on - the guy I met seemed pretty pitiful though - thanks for the hopeful update. P.D.

Papa D
01-20-2011, 23:28
the Paul with Bunions I met said he was 54 and from PA - a machinist by trade - said he had done 2 thru-hikes, both SOBO -my guess was that he yellow blazed at least one SOBO whith a pretty good bit of hiking at best - he was about 5'8, skinny and had a grey beard - he smoked roll-up bugler tobacco, had a frying pan, a 20 degree synthetic bag, and some pretty shabby gear - he DID know the trail better than somebody just full of BS - I guess that's why I hung out and I helped him out - "there is a little truth in every lie", they say - his accent was NOT Loganville, GA though - had to be PA - maybe there ARE 2 Paul Bunions - SCARY.

10-K
01-20-2011, 23:30
the Paul with Bunions I met said he was 54 and from PA - a machinist by trade - said he had done 2 thru-hikes, both SOBO -my guess was that he yellow blazed at least one SOBO whith a pretty good bit of hiking at best - he was about 5'8, skinny and had a grey beard - he smoked roll-up bugler tobacco, had a frying pan, a 20 degree synthetic bag, and some pretty shabby gear - he DID know the trail better than somebody just full of BS - I guess that's why I hung out and I helped him out - "there is a little truth in every lie", they say - his accent was NOT Loganville, GA though - had to be PA - maybe there ARE 2 Paul Bunions - SCARY.

Oh, most definitely. Paul Bunion I know is a 6'5" programmer with a SMD Lunar Duo and pretty good gear.

Some coincidence!

Papa D
01-20-2011, 23:32
gotcha - pretty funny

Papa D
01-20-2011, 23:53
hey 10-k - I live in Athens - not far from you if you ever want to do a section - I'm doing all of CT in March, the Foothills Trail - Aug 19-23. In July, I'm probably doing the John Muir. My e-mail is [email protected]

Papa D
01-20-2011, 23:56
oops - Foothills is APRIL 19-23 - Aug, much too hot - soaking in a river somewhere

10-K
01-21-2011, 08:26
hey 10-k - I live in Athens - not far from you if you ever want to do a section - I'm doing all of CT in March, the Foothills Trail - Aug 19-23. In July, I'm probably doing the John Muir. My e-mail is [email protected]

I moved to Erwin, TN this summer... Lived in Loganville from 1966 until 1985..

You'll really like the Foothills Trail - it's a real gem.